First buses to offer mobile payment option

The Barclays Pingit application will allow First West Yorkshire customers to pay via their mobile.

Published:14:00Thursday 01 January 2015

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A West Yorkshire bus operator has announced that they will offer a mobile payment option in the new year.

First West Yorkshire will become one of the first public transport operators to offer Barclays Pingit as a mobile payment option.

Paul Matthews, Managing Director of First West Yorkshire, said “Our partnership with Barclays puts First at the forefront of bus ticketing technology and reflects our commitment to grasp ever more innovative ways to make bus travel better, easier and more convenient.”

Darren Foulds, Director of Mobile Banking and Pingit at Barclays, said: “This partnership is another example of how mobile payments are being integrated across different industries, and shows the great potential for mobile payments as services like Pingit gain more widespread use.

“For quick, secure transactions on the go, mobile is fast-becoming a trusted method of making payments – whether from person-to-person or directly to a business. For consumers it offers a totally secure way of making payments that are at the same time quick – and on a device that almost everyone in the UK carries with them on a permanent basis.”

Paul Matthews added: “Mobile Ticketing at First West Yorkshire is becoming increasingly popular. Customers are welcoming the extra convenience that it offers, not having to worry about losing bus tickets and passes or having the correct change. mTicketing is not only helping us attract new customers, but is also encouraging infrequent customers to get on board the bus more often.”

Earlier this year, First West Yorkshire introudced a mobile ticketing service that allowed customers to use their mobile phones as bus tickets.

The recent announcement is expected to increase the popularity of the First West Yorkshire mTicketing product and encourage more passengers to use the bus.

Customers will be able to pay for their mTickets using the mobile payment app, Barclays Pingit.

Barclays Pingit was first launched in 2012 and is free to download for everyone, not just Barclays customers.

To use the mTicketing service, customers should download ‘First Bus Mobile Tickets app’. which is free on the App Store and Google Play. They must then register, select the ticket they want and navigate the secure payment system. Once the payment section is finished, bus ticket live in a ‘virtual wallet’.

Customers can activate the ticket when required and must simply show the driver their ticket on their mobile phone screen when boarding.